Combined rest, magazine support, and bookholder



p 1949- A. J. GORE CQMBINED'REST; MAGAZINE SUPPORT, AND BOQKHOLDER 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1946 A/berf J. Gore A. .J. GORE Sfipt 6,1949.

COMBINED REST, MAGAZINE SUPPORT, AND BOOKHOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMarch 4, 1946 gwucmio n 7 Albert J. Gore I Hi 5 Gum W Patented Sept. 6,1949 COMBINED REST, MAGAZINE SUPPORT, AND BOOKHOLDER Albert J. Gore,Washington, D. 0., assignor of forty-five per cent to Frances GoreHaynes Application March 4, 1946, Serial No. 651,778

12 Claims.

This invention relates to portable rests of the provided with a combinedfolding support" and base and adapted to be carried upon the person orset up on any available surface to hold a writing tablet, book,magazine, sheet music, map or other article at a convenient height andangle for a person to use in standing, sitting or prone position.

It is tiresome to hold a heavy book in the hands while reading, whethersitting or reclining, and this invention relieves the reader fromsupporting the book or touching it with either hand except when turningthe pages. The invention also permits a note book or writing tablet tobe supported in convenient position for writing or making field notes orsketches either sitting or stand= ing while leaving one or both handsfree for the work. Musicians and artists will also appreciate theutility of the invention for their work.

Other aims and advantages of the invention appear in connection with thefollowing description of a preferred embodiment illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the invention as arrangedfor use by a person lying in bed, standing up and sitting down,respectively;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the rest as used for holding a book;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 4 showing the rest setup on a flat supporting sur face;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation showing the face of the rest used forsupporting a drawing or other fiat articles; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged views of the clamp, Fig. 8 being a crosssection on the line 8-6 in Fi '7. V

In the form of the invention illustrated, the support comprises a tableor holder l l and a stiff wire frame 12 pivoted thereto by .means of aclamp l3 and provided with a flexible bail M. The table and holderelement is preferably made of a sheet of thin plastic, stiff cardboardor vulcanized fiber, the side edges lb of which are folded over on thefront side to provide flaps for overlying the back covers of a book 16spread open on the main portion as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

The bottom edge [1 of the sheet is folded up and bent outward slightlyto provide a support for the lower edges of the book covers, and theends [8 of this turned up portion I1 are folded around the side edges ofthe main portion l l and secured to the rear thereof by staples 19 orother .1?

suitable means along the side and bottom edges as shown in Fig. 6.

This construction permits the lower corners of a map or drawing to beslipped under the corners l8 when the rear face of the rest is in use asthe supporting surface, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

An elastic retainer 2| is looped around the support near its top toretain the upper edges of the leaves of a book or magazine in openposition for convenience in reading. This retainer consists of a rubberband, long coiled wire spring, or other stretchable material, whichpasses around the edges of the support and is secured at its ends to theends of the two sections or links 22, 23 of an adjusting member disposedon the opposite side of the support, as shown in Fig. 6. This adjustingmember is preferably made of bent wire in accordance with the disclosureof my patent, No. 2,364,968, dated December 12, 1944, and consists of azig-za link section 22 with a tranverse ring at one end, and a straightlink section 23 passing through this end ring of the zig-zag section andhaving a flattened transverse ring at its end engaging with the zig-zagportion so that by turning the straight section through it can be madeto engage and disengage the zig-zag section to hold the two sectionsagainst axial displacement and to permit the zig-Zag portion to slidethrough the flat loop to adjust the point of engagement as desired forthe right degree of tightness in holding different sizes of books.

The stiff frame I2 is preferably made of heavy wire or lighter wirecovered with plastic material of which there are some very pretty shadesreadily available for this purpose. The wire extends through a slightlybent rubber tube 25 at its outer or foot portion, and its ends arepassed through the clamp washer 26 and drawn tight by thumb screw 21 onthe threaded stern 28 of the clamp as shown in Figs. 7 and. 8. Largewashers 29 are advantageously mounted on the clamp screw on each side ofthe support H to protect it from damage, and a smaller washer 30 isprovided for engaging the two ends of the wire frame and the adjacentwasher 26 which is tilted by the wires so that the sharp edges of thecentral hole are caused to cramp or bite the wire and hold it fast.

The bail l4 may be made of any suitable material which has sufficientstiffness to hold its shape without hurting the wearer, such as plasticcov-- ered wire, stiff metallized tape or cord or fine stranded orbraided wire. Its ends are bent at right angles and thrust into therubber tube 25 sufficiently far to be secured by friction therein. Theends of the tube are protected against tearing by small coils of wire33. This arrangement permits the bail to be lengthened or shortened atwill by bending its ends shorter or longer to suit the wearer and thedesired height of the rest with relation to his body.

Various ways in which the support can be utilized to advantage willoccur to anyone using the invention, as it may be arranged either sideup and with the metal frame and bail to hold up its upper edge either asan easel or suspended from the neck of the user. The lower edge of thesupport when not used as an easel may rest on any convenient portion ofthe clothing or body of the wearer. If the wearer be standing, the loweredge may be supported by one hand or by a belt hook .or vest button clipif his anatomy does not provide a secure support.

The invention is not restricted to the exact shapes and dimensions shownnor to the materials described. like is used to designate books,magazines, maps, sheet music and tablets or other things that may beread or written upon.

What I claim is as follows:

1. A portable rest comprising a holder of light weight sheet materialhaving its side edges folded inwards upon themselves over the edgeportions of the holder, a bottom edge portion folded upwards andoverlying the lower edges of the side edge portions, the ends of saidbottom edge portions being extended and folded around the ad.- jacentside edges and attached to said holder on the rear face, an open framemember pivotally clamped to said holder near its upper edge to swing atan angle thereto, said frame member belng adapted to serve both as aprop and as a suspension means for supporting said holder in workingposition, and a semi-flexible bail pivotally secured to said framemember at its edge remote from said holder, said bail being of such sizeand shape as to embrace the neck of a user and support said frame memberat a convenient height with respect to the user.

2. A portable rest comprising a holder of light weight sheet materialhaving its side edges folded inwards upon tl-iemselves over the edgeportions of the holder, a bottom edge portion folded up wards andoverlying the lower edges of the side edge portions, said side portionsbeing loose at their edges to engage a book-like article, an open framemember of generally quadrangular form pivotally clamped to said holdernear its upper edge to swing at an angle thereto, said frame memberbeing adapted to serve both as a prop and as a suspension means forsupporting said holder in working position, and. a semi fiexible bailpivotally secured to said frame member at its edge remote from saidholder, said bail being of such size and shape as to embrace the neck ofa user and support said frame member at a convenient height with respectto the user.

3'. in a holder as described in claim 2, a clamp member for adiustablysecuring said open frame member comprising a screw stem extending throng.1 said holder, a tilted washer having a hole large enough to receivesaid screw stem and said frame member, and a thun'ib nut engaging saidstem and adapted to clamp said tilted washer against both sides of saidframe member.

4. A holder of the type described in claim 2, in which the ends .of thebail are adjustable in length and enclosed in a tube mounted u on theside of said open frame remote from said clamp.

5. A holder of the type" described in claim 2,

in which a tube enclosing the side of said frame In the claims, the termbooki 4 remote from the hinge clamp constitutes the hinge connection forsaid bail, the ends of which are encompassed thereby.

6. A portable rest comprising a holder formed of light weight sheetmaterial having its side edges folded inwards upon themselves over theedge portions of the holder and adapted to overlie the covers of a booklying open on the rest, said holder also having a bottom edge portionfolded upwards and overlying and securing the lower edges of the foldedside edges of the holder with its upper edge spaced from'the face of theholder to form a support for the lower edges of the book, and elasticmeans encircling said holder near its upper edge to encompass the openleaves of the book, in combination with means for supporting said holderat a convenient angle with respect to the body of a reader.

'7. A portable rest comprising a holder formed of light weight sheetmaterial having its side edges folded inwards upon themselves over theedge portions of the holder and adapted to overlie the covers of a booklying open on the rest, said holder also having a bottom edge portionfolded upwards and overlying the lower edges of the folded side edges ofthe holder with its upper edge spaced from the face of the holder toform a support for the lower edges of the book, and means for fasteningsaid bottom edge portion in folded position, said fastening means beingdisposed at the sides of said holder to avoid interference with articleson said holder retained thereby, in combination with means forsupporting said holder at a convenient angle with respect to the body ofa reader.

8. A portable rest comprising a holder formed of light weight sheetmaterial having its side edges folded inwards upon themselves over theedge portions of the holder and adapted to overlie the covers of a booklying open on the rest, said holder also having a bottom edge portionfolded upwards and overlying the lower edges of the folded side edges ofthe holder with its ends formed with a diagonal edge extended and foldedaround the adjacent side edges and attached to said holder on the rearface, the folded end portions of said bottom edge portion being attachedto said holder along its margins only so as to leave the diagonal edgesoverlying the rear face of said holder free to receive and hold fiatsheet material resting upon said rear face, in combination with meansfor supporting said holder at a convenient angle with respect to thebody of a reader.

9. A portable rest comprising a holder formed of light weight sheetmaterial having its side edges folded inwards upon themselves over theedge portions of the holder and adapted to overlie the coversof a book.lyin open on the rest, said holder also having a bottom edge portionfolded upwards and overlying the lower edges of the folded side edges ofthe holder with its upper edge spaced from the face of the holder toform a support for the lower edge of the book, and means for fasteningsaid bottom edge portion in folded position, in combination with meansfor supporting said holder at a convenient angle with respect to thebody of a reader, said supporting means comprising a substantiallyrectangular frame pivoted to the upper edge of said holder and adaptedto swing to extend at an angle with respect to either face thereof toconstitute a prop when in one position and a suspension means when inthe other position.

10. A rest of the kind described in claim 9 wherein the supporting meansis provided with an adjustable bail to adapt it to the person of a userfor convenient use in a standin or sittin posture.

11. As a new article of manufacture, a rest of the character describedcomprising a holder portion having folded margins to support a booklikearticle on one face, said margins having portions folded behind saidface and providing support for fiat sheet material on the opposite face,in combination with an open frame pivoted thereto adjacent its upperedge and adapted to be swung at an angle to either face thereof to serveas a prop or suspension means in either position of use.

12. As a new article of manufacture, a rest of the character describedcomprising a holder portion having folded margins to support a booklikearticle on one face and flat sheet material on the other face as set forin claim 11, a rigid support pivoted to one edge of said holder, and asemi-flexible support attached to said rigid sup- 6 port at a placeremoved from the pivot axis of said rigid support, said rigid supportbeing adjustable to different angles to hold said rest at a convenientWorking angle and said semi-flexible support being adjustable in lengthto suit the person of the user.-

ALBERT J. GORE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 648,742 Hassellund et a1 May 1,1900 1,317,934 Mohr Oct. 7, 1919 1,841,741 Labadie Jan. 19, 19321,911,823 Harrison May 30, 1933 1,971,926 Weakley Aug. 28, 19342,044,079 Frese June 16, 1936 2,053,615 Krueger Sept. 8, 1936 2,140,805Marseglia Dec. 20, 1938

